Is it too late to get unemployment back pay from Texas TWC?

That's really useful. My question is did the agent say anything about whether the week you applied counts as week one, or does it start the week after? I've been confused about that for my own claim.

She said the claim starts on the Sunday of the week you applied, so that Sunday is technically the start of week one. Payment requests then come about one to two weeks after you apply — TWC mails you a letter with your exact filing date.

Good to know the service actually got someone on the line. I've been trying to reach TWC for days about a different issue and might give it a shot.

Wait so the filing window closes on Saturday of that same week? I thought you had until the following Sunday or something. So those weeks from like six weeks ago are definitely gone?

Right, Sunday through Wednesday is the normal window, then Thursday through Saturday you can still file but it's considered late. Once that Saturday is done, that cycle closes. Weeks from six weeks ago — yeah, those are most likely gone unless there's some adjudication issue holding your claim that TWC needs to resolve first.

This is what I was afraid of when I delayed too. Nobody tells you this upfront when you apply. The letter they mail you has the dates but I didn't even get it for like 10 days after I applied.

My account doesn't show any holds or adjudication flags that I can see. It just shows the claim is open with no pending issues. So I think it was really just me not knowing I had to keep filing.

Ahh okay. Yeah if there's no hold, then it really does come down to whether the payment request windows were still open. The adjudication back pay thing only really applies when TWC itself is what's blocking the payments, not when the claimant missed the window on their own.

How do you even tell if your claim is in adjudication? Mine just says something vague in UBS and I can't tell if that means anything is wrong.

Usually there's a message in UBS or you get a letter in the mail asking you to call or submit information. If neither of those happened and your account looks normal, you're probably not in adjudication — just check your correspondence section in UBS to be sure.

Agreed, it's genuinely backwards logic. You're essentially filing for money before you know if you're approved, which feels wrong. But yes that's how it works and the people who don't know lose out.

Exactly what happened to me. I kept thinking, well they haven't approved me yet so obviously I can't request payment yet. Nope. You have to do it anyway and then they sort it out later.

And then when you DO call to ask about it, you can't get anyone on the phone. Great system.

Yes this. I made this mistake the first time I ever filed. Applied and then just waited. No money ever showed up and I had no idea why until a friend explained the payment request thing.

That's literally what I thought. I applied and figured the money would just come. Had no idea there was a separate step every two weeks.

The letter TWC mails after you apply is supposed to explain this — it even tells you your first payment request date. But if that letter gets lost or delayed you're just left guessing.

Wait I thought the waiting week pays out after you get two payments total? Isn't that all it takes?

No, both things have to happen — you get paid at least twice your weekly amount, AND you either go back to full-time work or exhaust your benefits. If you just get two payments and your claim is still active, the waiting week is still being held. You can't get it released early unless you return to full-time work and request it through UBS or Tele-Serv.

Oh wow okay I definitely had that wrong. I've been expecting my waiting week to pay out after two payments. Good thing I saw this.

Where do you even request the waiting week when you go back to work? I didn't know that was a step you had to take yourself.

In UBS there's an option called Request Your Waiting Week — or you can do it through Tele-Serv, Option 2 then Option 4. You have to actively request it after you return to full-time work, it doesn't release automatically.

That's encouraging actually. At least getting someone on the phone helped clarify things even if the lost weeks are gone. I keep trying to call and can't get through.

He said it took him forever to reach someone. Tried early mornings, tried Tuesdays — eventually got lucky one day. The Tele-Center number is 800-939-6631 if you haven't tried that one.

Does Tele-Serv work 24 hours? Or does it have the same limited hours as the Tele-Center?

Tele-Serv for payment requests is automated so it runs outside normal business hours too. The live Tele-Center agents have set hours, but you don't need a live person just to file a payment request.

I've actually found Tele-Serv easier than UBS for payment requests. Faster and no login issues.

How long did it take before you actually got connected to the agent?

Honestly not that long compared to what I was expecting. I went about my day and got the call when someone was available. Way better than sitting there pressing redial.

Oh no I definitely was not keeping a log those first few weeks. I was so focused on the job situation I didn't even think about the documentation part.

TWC mails each claimant a letter that says how many activities are required per week — it varies by county. If yours is in a high-activity county like Harris or Dallas or Travis, it can be up to 5 a week. Keep the log going forward just in case.

They send you that letter but it doesn't feel urgent when you first get it. And then months later they ask for the log and suddenly it matters a lot.

Severance is something you have to report when you apply and also when it comes up on your payment requests — there's a question about income from other sources. TWC mails a decision on your specific situation because certain types of severance stop benefits while they're being received. It's not one-size-fits-all, so the safest thing is to call a Tele-Center and report it if you haven't already.

Okay so I should call and not just assume it's fine. I reported it when I applied but haven't mentioned it since because the payments stopped.

If the severance payments have stopped, you should still have reported them on each payment request for the weeks you were receiving them. If you didn't, it might be worth calling to clarify before it becomes an overpayment issue.

I appreciate the honesty. I think deep down I knew this but was hoping I was wrong. At least now I know to stay on top of it going forward.

Future you will be glad you learned this now rather than after losing even more weeks. Keep filing every two weeks no matter what — even if your claim is still pending a decision.

That's actually really helpful to hear. So the agent can literally look at your account and tell you which weeks are still open?

Yes, she looked right at my account and told me which cycles were still available. That was the most useful part — I didn't have to guess.

Makes sense to call and just ask directly rather than trying to interpret UBS on your own.

There is an alternate base period in Texas, but it's only for people who were out of work for at least 7 weeks in a base period quarter because of a verifiable illness, injury, disability or pregnancy. It's not a general option for anyone with low wages — you'd need to contact a Tele-Center and ask about it specifically.

I was out for about 5 weeks after a surgery — sounds like that might not be enough to qualify then.

Yeah the threshold is 7 weeks, so 5 weeks likely wouldn't qualify for the alternate base period. Worth double-checking with TWC though since your specific dates and situation matter.

Had no idea they were the same login. That explains why my password reset on one fixed it on the other.

Every time I log in it also asks for a one-time code — is that normal?

Yes, that one-time code at every login is normal, that's just how their system works for security. It should come to whatever phone number or email you registered with.

Setting reminders on my phone now for every payment request date. Not letting this happen again.

That's the move. And if anything weird shows up in your account, call right away rather than waiting and hoping it resolves itself.

Also make sure your contact info in UBS is current so you get the letters TWC mails. A lot of issues come from people not getting correspondence because their address is outdated.

That's actually a relief. I was worried that missing those weeks somehow messed up my whole benefit year.

Nope, your benefit year runs 52 weeks from the Sunday of the week you applied. The missed weeks just mean less total money, not a broken claim.

Right, the appeal back pay situation only works if you kept requesting payment on schedule during the whole appeal process. If you stopped requesting during an appeal, those weeks are gone even if you win.

I don't have an appeal going on, so I think this doesn't apply to me — but good to know for anyone who is in that situation.

Worth mentioning anyway since people often stop requesting when they're waiting on an appeal decision thinking they can't get paid yet. Keep filing no matter what's happening with your claim.

TWC updates its systems nightly so sometimes a status that looks wrong in the morning is corrected by the next day. Doesn't always mean you need to call — but if something seems off for more than a day or two, definitely reach out.

Mine resolved after about two days. I nearly called in a panic but decided to wait and it sorted itself. Guess the nightly update thing explains it.